14 Sept 2011 – Daily Monitoring Report
Key Headlines:
- Somali PM set to attend UN Security Council meeting in New York
- SA medical team extends stay in Somalia
- AU Blames International indifference for Somalia famine deaths
- Money transfers lifeline for Somalia famine
- Businesses urged to help Somalia
PRESS RELEASE
Somali government condemns al Shabaab’s ban in Mahadday
13 Sept – Source: TFG – 230 words
The Somali Government condemns al Shabaab’s ban on movement of the people in the district of Mahadday in Middle Shabelle region. For the third day in a row, the extremists denied people the right to attend to their farmlands, livestock and businesses after they warned to punish all those venturing out of home.
The restrictions were introduced when the local residents killed two members of al Shabaab in their efforts to get rid of the brutal rule of al Shabaab, which made life unbearable for them. The Government calls on citizens to keep up their efforts to resist against the extremists.
The acting Prime Minister and Minister for Defense, H.E. Hussein Arab Isse, said: “It is inhumane that the people, who were already suffering from the worst drought in decades, are denied the right to attend to their businesses to earn their livelihood, which shows their disregard for the life of the people. It shows that it is time the government and its people should cooperate to liberate the country from their atrocious rule.” “If people are fed up with their brutality, they cannot continue to rule through the barrel of the gun”
The residents of free Mogadishu wish those of Mahadday and other parts of South and Central Somalia to regain their freedom; the government with the help of AMISOM will work for the realization of the calls from the public.
SOMALI MEDIA
Somali PM set to attend UN Security Council meeting in New York
14 Sept – Source: Radio Mogadishu, Bar-Kulan – 112 words
Somalia’s Prime Minister Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali is on Wednesday expected to attend the UN Security Council meeting in its headquarters in New York, where he will deliver a speech on Somalia’s current situation. During the meeting on the Somalia situation, the UN Security Council members will deliberate on the outcome of the recently concluded UN-backed consultative meeting in Mogadishu and security developments in the country. While in New-York, the Somali delegates attending the meeting are expected to hold talks with U.S officials on Somalia’s current political situation. The premier will brief the U.S officials, his government’s plans and the recent milestone achievements by both the Somali troops and the AU peacekeeping forces in Mogadishu.
Puntland and UN discuss assistance to IDPs
14 Sept – Source: Shabelle – 142 words
Officials from the semi-autonomous state of Puntland and UN delegation led by Mark Bowden, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia met in Galka’yo town of central Somalia. The UN delegation and Puntland official in the town discussed the best ways to assist Somalia’s drought-displaced people in the region of Mudug. The two parts focused on delivering urgent humanitarian assistance to needy people in the area. Moreover, the UN humanitarian coordinator and Puntland officials agreed on the need for establishing new refugee camps as famine spreads to more regions in southern Somalia. Speaking to the local press in Galka’yo, Bowden said the United Nations is committed to sending more humanitarian aid to Somalia.
http://www.shabelle.net/
Somaliland’s regional Court frees detained journalist on bail
13 Sept – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 303 words
A regional Court in Somaliland’s Togder region has on Sunday released a print journalist, Ahmed Mohamed Mose (Sagaro) on bail after being in custody for almost a week, the Somali Journalists body has revealed. In a press statement, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) said it welcomes the release of Waaheen newspaper correspondent in Bur’o who was arrested on 5 September 2011 by the Somaliland police.
NUSOJ says police arrested Mr. Sagaro on the orders of the governor of Togder region, Yaasin Mohamed Abdi without court orders. Sagaro was arraigned in court on 7 September and was remanded in custody for one week after pleading not guilty and later spent six days in custody. NUSOJ’s Supreme Council President Burhan Dahir said they welcomed the release of the journalist as a positive step and called on Somaliland Authorities to stop the continuous intimidations and harassment of journalists in the area.
Mr. Dahir added that they will not tolerate the “serious violations” against the press in Somaliland. The union alleges that Sagaro was kept behind bars for allegedly publishing a story on an alleged dispute between Somaliland’s Sports Ministry officials which the area’s governor failed to resolve.
Tension is high in parts of central Somalia after combat
14 Sept – Source: Shabelle – 122 words
After one day of heavy combat in central Somalia region of Galgudud between Somalia’s moderate Sufi group of Ahlu Sunna Waljama and al Shabaab, reports on Wednesday said that tension is still high. Al Shabaab and Ahlu Sunna are amassing and are preparing to take against each other in the region. The situation in el-Garas, el-Lahelay and el Bur areas is very tense as they are stationed by al Shabaab and fighting is looming. Local residents have expressed deep concern about the renewed battles there and they are right now on high alert and ready to escape if battle restarts. Tuesday battle in central Somalia Ahlu Sunna with al Shabaab fighters killed at least three people and injured 7 others.
http://www.shabelle.net/
Netherlands identify active members of al Shabaab in EU countries
13 Sept – Source: Radio Bar-Kulan – 170 words
Dutch authorities have identified a Dutch national of Somali origin and two other Somali men in Europe as active members of al Shabaab militant group, who is in the U.S list of foreign terrorist groups.
Dutch intelligence agencies confirmed that the man whose names have not been revealed traveled to Somalia via Kenya on October last year together with two others. An official with the country’s intelligence Jan kees Goet revealed the existence of over ten Muslim youths in EU countries who traveled to the war-torn Somalia to fight along side with al Shabaab.
He said the youths pose danger to the Europeans if they are allowed to come back to European countries, especially Somalis joining the outlawed militia group back in Somalia. Goet added that a number of extremists from EU countries have traveled to Somalia, Pakistan, Yemen and Afghanistan for terrorism-related trainings, posing security risks to westerners and the EU. The announcement comes a day after the U.S marked the tenth anniversary of 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Kidnapped British tourist possibly in Somalia – police
13 Sept – Source: Capital FM, Al Shahid – 292 words
Kenyan Police are now convinced the British woman abducted from an exclusive beach resort in the Lamu archipelago on Saturday night is already in Somalia. Judith Tebbutt was kidnapped when unknown assailants, suspected to be al Shabaab militants, raided the exclusive resort during which her husband David was shot dead.
A senior police officer speaking on condition of anonymity said; “We are speaking with the Somalia government. We are jointly coordinating with authorities there to assist us establish her whereabouts if she is anywhere there.” The officer added: “We strongly believe she was abducted by foreign forces and she is unlikely to be here in Kenya, we could have found her a long time ago. Elders in Somalia will be involved to talk to the suspected abductors so that they can confirm if they are holding her.”
Lamu West DC Stephen Ikua said they are holding the man who is providing police with the crucial leads. Ikua said the suspect used to work at the Kiwayu Safari resort before traveling to Kismayo in Somali where it is alleged he joined the terror group.
The DC said investigations have revealed that the man was behind the planning that saw members of al Shabaab raid the hotel, killing the man before kidnapping his wife. “The man coordinated the attacks and he is providing us with crucial leads that would lead to the arrest of the culprits”, he added. nIkua said they have information that the al Shabaab crew and the kidnapped tourists were in Kismayo in Somalia.
Kenyan military and police have employed helicopter gun ships, a spotter plane and speedboats to hunt for the surviving British tourist amid fears that she had been taken into Somali territory by Islamist militants. UK Special Forces were also reportedly helping with the search for Mrs. Tebbutt.
http://english.alshahid.net/
SA medical team extends stay in Somalia
14 Sept – Source: SABC News – 331 words
The South African medical team has extended its stay in Mogadishu by two days to help thousands of Somalis in desperate need of health care. The team is being led by the Durban-based non-governmental organisation, Gift of the Givers Foundation. It has been in the Somali capital since last Tuesday and was expected to leave tomorrow. Now Madiana hospital also in Mogadishu has asked for the team’s help.
This hospital has 28 cases of people who require extensive reconstructive surgery for war related injuries. Imtiaz Suleman, Gift of the Givers chairperson, says all 28 cases are gun shot wounds and because the SA team has the equipment needed for the operations, they decided to stay longer to lend a helping hand.
The South African medical team has so far been able to assist by removing tumors and removing bullets and mending broken bones. They have also attended to a number of cases of Malaria, Cholera, TB and Diarrhoea. The team is expected back in South African on Saturday.
Returnees take over area left by al Shabaab
13 Sept – Source: Daily Monitor – 247 words
A gathering of three hundred women, social workers and government officials gave on Sunday the district of Bondhere, one of the places vacated by al Shabaab militias in Mogadishu, a sort of festival environment.
The crowd was taking part of an assembly organised by Centre for Community Dialogue (CCD), a local NGO that often strives to forge understanding among the war-torn communities in Mogadishu.
The women and the officials converged at the dilapidated Bondhere District headquarter and begun exchanging views. “Thanks Allah that our district is free from the callous clutches of fanatical Islamists,” remarked the district commissioner, Mr. Abdullahi Hersi Wardhere alias Istakin.
“I see this reunion as a thanksgiving to the Almighty,” he added. “This congregation named as Maxaan waayo badan u soo joogay (Let us let it out) is intended to give the participants an opportunity to share experiences upon coming back to their neighborhoods,” remarked Mr. Warsame Mohamed Hassan, the Deputy Mayor of Mogadishu.
Most people fled the district two years ago when it became the epicenter of the offenses of al Shabaab fighters aiming to capture Villa Somalia, the state house in Mogadishu. Ms Hawa Abdullahi Qayd, a woman legislator, who participated in the emotional assembly, reiterated that the people of Bondhere district and those in other places abandoned by al Shabaab militants will rebuild their lives. The Chair lady of the Somali Women Association, Ms Asha Omar Gesdir, praised women in Bondhere for dying while cleaning their district even at the height of the attacks by al Shabaab fighters.
http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
AU blames international indifference for Somalia famine deaths
13 Sept – Source: VOA News / Reuters – 624 words
An African Union report says many people are dying in famine-stricken Somalia because of international indifference to their plight. AU officials are urging the United Nations and the donor community to move quickly now that Somalia’s al-Qaida-linked militants are in retreat.
African Union Commission Chairman Jean Ping said Somalia’s famine is needlessly claiming lives that could have been saved if early famine warnings had been heeded.
In a report to the AU Peace and Security Council, however, Ping said recent security improvements in Mogadishu present a fresh opportunity to act on both the humanitarian and security fronts.
Aiding Somalis most in need
14 Sept – Source: VOA – 506 words
Briefing journalists after a council meeting Tuesday, Peace and Security Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra said he is encouraged by a surge in attention to Somalia, beginning with a U.N. Security Council meeting scheduled this week. He said the world body must take the lead in creating humanitarian corridors that would allow aid to reach Somalis trapped in the famine zone.
“It is politically necessary and technically doable. We need to put our minds together with a number of key players at the United Nations,” said Lamamra. “U.N. Secretary-General Ban Kimoon is convening a summit on Somalia on 23rd September and that would be the right place to consider all related issues. Humanitarian corridors are necessary given the risk of further degradation of the situation at the humanitarian level.”
Lamamra said the Security Council should seize the moment created by last month’s retreat of al- Qaeda-linked fighters from Mogadishu to take the kinds of action that could defeat the militants and allow distribution of life-saving food in the famine zone.
“We’ve been calling for more than a year for the U.N. Security Council to take steps to enforce a no-fly zone and maritime blockade in the territorial waters of Somalia,” he said. “We… believe the time has come to take measures to implement those measures, which are likely to change the dynamics of the situation in Somalia. And also now that we have this pressing emergency in terms of assisting the people, they will not feel they are marginalized and are being ignored by the rest of the world.”
Lamamra said five African countries are ready to send troops to Somalia to boost the AU’s AMISOM peace force from its current strength of 9,500 to 12,000 by the end of the year. He said the only thing preventing deployment of as many as 16,000 troops is the equipment, training and logistics, which must come from donors such as the United States and Europe.
“I think both Burundi and Uganda are ready to contribute the extra units that will take overall strength to 12,000, while Djibouti, Guinea-Conakry and Sierra Leone are also ready to provide troops,” said Lamamra. “The pressing issue is for our traditional supporters, in terms of supplying equipment to move as fast as they could so battalions are properly trained and equipped for urgent deployment.”
Lamamra said improved security in Mogadishu highlights the need for deployment of international police units to replace AMISOM troops, who he said could then move forward to open up humanitarian corridors. He said a pledged battalion of Djiboutian police officers would be particularly welcome, since they can communicate with Somalis in their language.
The commissioner has in the past voiced disappointment at the world body’s failure to accept African recommendations aimed at defeating al-Shabaab. But on Tuesday he expressed hope that this time, the urgency of the famine may finally tip the scales in favor of action that could not only save lives, but give Somalia’s feeble transitional government a chance to establish control after 20 years of anarchy.
Money transfers lifeline for Somalia famine
13 Sept – Source: CBC News (Canada) – 264 words
Members of Ottawa’s Somali community say a previously controversial money transfer system is an essential lifeline for those suffering during Somalia’s famine. Somali brokers use “Hawala” payments as an informal transfer system to send small amounts of money back to family members in need. They are important, say brokers, because Somalia does not have banks.
But after Sept. 11, 2001, U.S. officials believed the payments were being used by al-Qaeda to move money around the world. Former U.S. president George W. Bush even referred to them in a speech saying, “By shutting these networks down, we disrupt the murderers’ work.”
The increased fear and scrutiny surrounding the financial sector spread to Ottawa convenience store owner Liban Hussein, who also handled the payments, rocking Ottawa’s Somali community. Hussein was soon exonerated, but brokers said they were forced to convince the government the transfers were not a threat.
“We explained to the authorities what Hawala is, and what Hawala does, and how Hawala is the lifeline,” said Imam Ahmed Hassan, a former broker who negotiated to legalize the payments. Hassan, who is now leader of Ottawa’s largest mosque, also said brokers laid low in fear for most of the past decade. But eventually they were able to explain why Hawala is vital to those in Somalia.
“I could say Hawala is the 911 of the Somali people. The money sent by the Diaspora is the backbone of the Somali economy,” said Hassan. Many countries are sending money and food as aid to Somalia to help with the current famine, but Somali-Canadians have insisted Hawala has stopped the disaster from getting worse.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/
Businesses urged to help Somalia
14 Sept – Source: The Star Phoenix News (US) – 307 words
Hundreds of Somalis die every day from famine, the United Nations says, part of the worst food crisis in 20 years. Tens of thousands have died of starvation, which is wracking Somalia after years of war, the onset of drought and a ban on food aid by Islamic extremists vying for dominance in the country.
When health sciences grad student Miriam Katzman began hearing the grim numbers coming from the UN during the summer, she decided it was time to do something. Katzman, with the support of the Jewish Students’ Association, is calling on local businesses to step up and donate before Friday to the grassroots organization Care. On Friday, the Canadian government will cease matching every dollar raised to combat hunger in the country.
“You can’t help but be concerned reading about this,” she said. Participants have until 12 a.m. Friday to make a donation to the group, which is supported by CIDA. Katzman says as a grassroots group, Care has an advantage over huge aid-delivering bodies such as the UN, which are less flexible with resources.
“Smaller groups can be a lot more efficient in how they spend their money.” Katzman is asking people to donate directly to Care and to send her a copy of their tax receipts so she can arrange to get the matching funds from the federal government. Ideally, Katzman would like to see businesses donate one to five per cent of their profits from the week, but anything would help, she says.
Business donations are just starting to trickle in, but Katzman hopes to get a fundraising blitz going in this final week, including an event in Winston’s basement Friday night. “We’re just trying to get people to spend as much on donations as they do on their drinks,” she said. People can send donations to my.care.org, and interested volunteers.
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/